1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to warm-up exercises for athletes, and more particularly to wrist warm-up exercises for baseball players.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,546 to Connolly shows a swingable practice game implement with a slideable weight. The weight member is disposed within a hollow chamber and held in sliding engagement therein. Thus, when the athlete swings the implement, the weight will respond to the centrifugal force thereby generated by sliding within the hollow chamber.
Connolly's purpose in providing an axially projectable and retractable weight within the implement is to teach the athlete to perfect his timing in swinging the implement. When the centrifugal forces effect the dislodging of the weight from its initial inert position, the movement of the weight makes an audible clicking sound, thereby signaling the athlete that the weight has been dislodged from its initial position.
Another device employing a movable point mass within the interior of the athletic implement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,887 to Blake.
U.S. Pat. No. 514,420 to Jacobus shows a baseball bat having a hollow chamber with a ball weight or piston member free to slide within the hollow chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 875,273, shows a baseball bat provided with an interior bore containing heavy material therein to make the bat heavier than normal and to thereby aid a batter in his warm-up.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,524,196 to Matthews shows a truncated implement for exercising one's golf swing. The center of gravity of the implement is proportionately related to the center of gravity of full size club.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,816 to Bratt shows a warm-up bat filled with a flowable material such as sand. This construction is designed to simulate the feel of an actual bat, while providing extra weight to aid the warm-up of the batter.
If an athlete desires to warm-up using any of the earlier devices, he must first move to a location distant from other athletes. Then, he must limit his warm-up exercise to the same motions he will employ when actually swinging his club or bat in a game situation.
Accordingly, it can be seen that there is a need to provide athletes with a method of warming-up that will not necessarily require them to employ only those motions needed when actually swinging a club or bat. A runner does not warm-up by simply running. He exercises muscles during his warm-up period in a manner different from which his muscles will be used when actually running. Accordingly, there is a need for an exercising method that an athlete desiring to warm-up may follow that does not restrict his motions merely to those motions required to actually swing a club or bat. The device usable in practicing the method should allow the athlete to flex his wrists in rotary motions, back and forth motions, or lateral motions if he no desires.